


On Top of the World

by totheendoftheworldortime79



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Politics, Cunnilingus, F/M, I Love You, Miscommunication, Prompt Fic, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:00:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24866452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/totheendoftheworldortime79/pseuds/totheendoftheworldortime79
Summary: Prompt fill: Saying "I love you" for the first time through a TV interview. Damerey, Modern AU.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Rey
Comments: 12
Kudos: 78





	On Top of the World

**Author's Note:**

> This one shot was inspired by a game of Cards Against Humanity game with the Damerey Discord. These ladies are my friends, my enablers and cheerleaders for all things Damerey. I hope you enjoy this!

Poe glanced up at the TV, more out of habit than anything else. It was far too early to know anything yet. He’d been working on Leia’s victory speech (yes, he was that confident) for the last couple of hours, his eyes darting to one of the many televisions blaring through the suite as he worked. There was rarely anything constructive, just talking heads mostly. As polls on the East Coast started to close, more people were pausing their work to see the results. For most, it was too early to call, so Poe ignored it and kept working.

Leia had her staff prepare two speeches, just in case. But they’d worked their asses off; Poe just couldn’t let himself believe they would need the other—more depressing—speech. He’d known Leia Organa almost his whole life; there was no one in the country better suited for the highest office in the land. He knew she would win. She had to. They’d worked too hard, all of them. From Leia down the lowliest intern on her Senate staff.

This was their night.

Over the last hour a hush fell over the suite as states were called. As predicted, almost all New England went Leia’s way, as did her home state of New York. Poe allowed himself a moment when his native New Jersey broke blue; the polls there had been close for weeks, with Leia starting to pull away. As the Senator’s spokesman, it would have been embarrassing had the Garden State gone the other way.

Finn would have never let him hear the end of it.

They were rolling into Central time; Poe forced himself to refocus on the task at hand. He wasn’t a speechwriter, strictly speaking; Leia liked to have him go through her speeches, checking them for anything that could be a red flag with the press. Inevitably, he found himself checking and double checking it for grammar and syntax too; he just couldn’t help it. His dad didn’t bust his ass so Poe could waste his Princeton education. He wound up rewriting the entire section on improving the foster care system; it didn’t sound strong enough to him. Rose would probably have his ass for messing with her words, but Leia didn’t pay him to be nice. She paid him to make things as clear for public consumption as possible.

Plus, it was an issue that was very important to him.

* * *

_“No, Finn, I can’t get you an exclusive,” Poe muttered into his phone. “The fact that we were roommates is irrelevant. The Senator will make a formal statement about the President’s frankly insane behavior within the hour. You’ll know when everyone else does.” Though she wouldn’t be making any statement at all if he was late. Poe switched off his phone, not bothering to watch where he was going. He could walk these halls blindfolded at this point._

_He turned the corner…and ran straight into mass of files._

_So much for blindfolded._

_The files—or rather person—he ran into tumbled to the hard tile floor. “Son of a bitch!” an irate feminine voice snarled. “You really ought to watch where you’re going, asshole!”_

_“Sorry,” Poe said, tucking his phone into his jacket pocket. “Here, let me…”_

_“I think you’ve done enough, don’t you?” the young woman snapped. Poe got a glimpse of chestnut waves and flashing hazel eyes. He also noted the English accent, which was strange all by itself. “I swear, if you cost me this job…”_

_“I said I was sorry,” Poe spat. “Suit yourself.” He stood, intent on getting back on his way._

_The young woman glanced up at him. “Oh_ shit.” _Poe turned, surprised. He finally locked eyes with her, watching as hers widened in horror. “Double shit.”_

_“Something wrong, aside from the files on the floor?”_

_“You’re him. Poe Dameron. You work for Leia.”_

_“I work for the Senator, yeah. Doesn’t explain who you are, or why you seem to be on the first name basis with a sitting senator. You can’t be more than twenty. Also, not American.”_

_The woman stood to her full height; her low heels made her slightly taller than Poe. He blinked; she was pretty. Like_ really _pretty. Unbidden, his eyes traveled the length of her; she was slim but athletic, dressed in a cream blouse and plain black pencil skirt._ Stop it, _he scolded himself._ She’s at least ten years younger than you. And you can’t screw around with an intern.

_The woman scowled. “I’m twenty-five, thank you very much. And Leia’s my adopted aunt, genius.”_

_Oh. That made a bit more sense. Also, not as big of an age difference as he thought. Poe vaguely remembered Leia mentioning her brother adopting, but that had been years ago. Poe had been in college then. He certainly never met the mystery niece. Until now, apparently. “Well, nice to finally meet you…”_

_“Rey, Rey Skywalker.”_

_“You took Luke’s name?”_

_“Why not? Is there something_ wrong _with it? Just because Leia doesn’t use it…”_

_“She doesn’t use her married name either,” Poe pointed out. “You don’t see Han complaining.”_

_“He complains plenty, just about other stuff.”_

_Poe laughed; he didn’t know how long it had been since he laughed. It felt like forever though. “Sounds like Han.” He smiled. “Now can I help you pick these files up, Miss Skywalker? Since we’ve been formally introduced?”_

_Rey put her hands on her hips and studied him for a long minute. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”_

_He did, but he was more intrigued by her. “Should just take a minute,” he countered. “Unless you’re the world’s slowest procurer of files.”_

_He could see her lips quirk; she wanted to smile! He couldn’t imagine why she was fighting the instinct; he suspected she had a pretty great smile. Along with everything else._ Down, boy, _he thought._ You can’t ogle the boss’s niece. _“If you insist…”_

_He grinned. “I definitely do.”_

* * *

“Dameron!”

Poe snatched up his Macbook and followed the sound of the Senator’s voice. Leia was in the kitchenette of the lavish suite, an untouched plate of food in front of her. Someone had been making food; Poe had completely forgotten it. His stomach rumbled. Loudly.

Leia grinned. “Sounds like you could use this more than me,” she said in that soft motherly tone of hers. “Go on, Poe. Eat up.”

“Senator, I’ve been looking at the speech…”

“We’ve got time for that later. Eat.”

Poe did as he was bid, sitting on the stool across from her. Leia pushed the untouched plate toward him; he dug in. “Oh, this is good,” he said, the spices just right.

“One of Han’s specialties,” she said, still considering him. For as big of a night as this was, Leia Organa did not seem particularly anxious. She’d been working for this her whole life. If it were Poe, he’d be wearing a ring in the floor from pacing.

“Think he’ll give me the recipe?”

“Rey already has it, I think.”

Poe blinked. “She’s never made this.”

“How often do you let her cook?”

Poe ducked his head. “Good point.” They were both really busy; Poe spent most of the last six months out on the road with the campaign. Rey stayed with Leia’s Washington office; Leia didn’t want to abandon her duty to the people who’d already elected her to office. Plus, Rey had her studies. They’d only seen each other about a dozen times since the primaries started; Poe missed her. He vowed to take her somewhere really nice after the election, a mini vacation of sorts before the real work began.

“Have you called her today?”

Poe glanced away; all these months later, he still felt awkward talking about his girlfriend to his boss. Especially since that boss happened to be his girlfriend’s aunt. Then again, Leia was more like a second mother to him, having lost his own so young. “She promised to be here when the party started.”

“Just get that speech ready, then you two can sneak away.”

* * *

_Poe grabbed the dainty wrist as she passed; Rey giggled as he tugged her into the closet. “Poe!” she hissed. “You can’t just go grabbing people!”_

_He grinned even though it was a bit too dark for her to see him in the tiny closet. “I didn’t grab people. I grabbed_ you. _I missed you.” He leaned in, knowing where her lips were even in the darkness. She clutched at his shoulders as she kissed him back, her tongue sliding past his. That warm giddy feeling settled in his belly; three weeks and it had yet to fade. He suspected it wouldn’t for a long time._

_Especially if they had to keep sneaking around like this._

_He’d tried to stay away from her. He really had. But she was always there. In meetings. On conference calls. Leia made Rey her personal gopher. At first, Poe thought it was a favor to her brother, but he realized quickly that Rey got the job all on her own. She was quick, resourceful, efficient. He found out that Rey was working on getting her master’s in public relations from Georgetown. She worked long hours in the Senate office, then studied?_

_He was impressed._

_Of course, she was also opinionated, pigheaded and stubborn as hell when she thought she was right about something. For the first month after her arrival, the Senate office grew tense as they argued about policies and strategy. People started to clear out whenever they really got going; Leia often demanded they get a room and get things over with. Poe always clammed up when she did that; he was mortified that even his boss saw through him like that. Sure, Rey was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen, but she was Leia’s niece. There was no way she could be interested in him even if it were appropriate. Which is was not._

_Rey’s fingers sank into his curls, tugging lightly as they made out like horny teenagers. If he knew kissing her would be this addicting, he would have done it weeks ago. As it turned out,_ Rey _was the one who took matters into her own hands. They’d been arguing—again—and she just grabbed his face and kissed him senseless. That had been three weeks ago. Leia was preparing to announce her candidacy for President and Poe was in a closet making out with her niece._

_Whoever said politics was boring was an idiot._

_“Poe,” Rey purred, arching into him as he bathed her neck in wet kisses. Her little mewls were getting to him, which was not ideal when they only had a few minutes before his next meeting. He just needed to see her._

_“Missed you too, Sunshine,” he whispered. He grabbed her leg and drew it over his hip so he could show her just how much he’d missed her._

_“When did you…oh…get back?” Rey ground against him shamelessly; the clandestine nature of their relationship made everything between them more intense._

_Christ, he could feel her threw their clothes, hot and wet for him. “This morning,” he muttered, finding her lips again. “Had strategy meetings all morning.”_

_Rey moaned softly, her body writhing against his. “Likely story,” she breathed._

_Poe knew she was teasing him, but he played along. “You caught me,” he agreed. “I was having a quickie with my other girlfriend across town.”_

_Rey went very still. “Girlfriend?”_

_Poe inhaled sharply. “Shit, no, Rey. I only meant…”_

_“I know what you meant. But…I’m your girlfriend?”_

_“Um…” He realized belatedly they’d never really discussed labels or anything like that. With Leia’s campaign starting to get off the ground, they hadn’t as much time together as Poe would have liked. Late nights in the office, mostly. Poe had managed to take her out on one date, right before the trip to Iowa. In his opinion, it was perfect, though it hardly resembled a first date. They knew each other pretty well already. Mostly, it had just been an excuse to take her out and see her in something other than the cute business outfits she wore._

_He was still counting his lucky stars that she’d invited him up to her apartment at the end of the night. If anyone noticed that he wore the same suit to work two days in a row, they were kind enough not to mention it._

_He tried again. “I probably should have asked first, Rey. But, ah, I’d really like you to be my girlfriend.” God, he hadn’t been this nervous since he was a teenager. But over the last six months Rey had become very important to him, despite their rocky start._

_He could almost hear her smile. “Good.” She cupped his cheek and kissed him again; Poe leaned into her, trapping her more firmly between himself and the wall._

_“Rey…” His phone suddenly blared; he needed to be over on the Hill in ten minutes. “Damn it.”_

_“It’s okay,” she murmured, stealing another kiss from his lips. “Go.”_

_“I just got back.”_

_“Your place or mine?”_

_“Yours’s closer.”_

_“Meet me there later? I can order that Thai you like.”_

_“That sounds amazing.” He kissed her lips, firm but chaste. “I’ll make this up to you, sweetheart.”_

_“I know. Now get out of here before Leia fires you. I’d hate to beg for your job.”_

* * *

Rey blew a lock of hair out of her face as her fingers flew over the keys. She needed to finish these revisions to her thesis. She gave herself until California was called, then she was calling it a night. She promised Poe she’d meet him at the Waldorf once they knew who won. She wanted to be done by then. This was (hopefully) the last round of revisions before her defense. She’d been practicing with Poe for weeks—mostly over Skype, as he was on the campaign trail with Leia. She was ready to defend her work. She just needed to get the paper itself up to scratch.

Not everyone could say they had a job right out of grad school, but if this night went the way Rey thought it would, then she was one of the lucky ones.

Her phone vibrated; she swiped it open, barely breaking her rhythm. “Hey kid.”

Rey laughed at her uncle’s gravelly tone. “Hey Han.”

“Still working?”

“Yep. Defense is two weeks away, remember?”

“Your cousin may not think I pay attention, but we both know he’s wrong.”

Rey forced herself not to roll her eyes. Her adopted cousin, Ben Solo, was not her favorite person in the world. He still treated Rey like an outsider, despite having been adopted by Luke over a decade ago. Fortunately, Han and Leia were very welcoming, almost a second set of parents to her. Luke was fantastic; Rey adored him, despite his slightly reclusive ways. He’d gotten her out of a really bad situation; she would always be grateful. In the process, he’d given her the one thing she’d always craved.

A family that loved her.

“Where is Ben?”

“Hell if I know. Leia’s lucky his brooding is so popular with the ladies. He might win her some votes.”

“No idea where he gets that from,” Rey teased. She loved talking to Han; he came off curmudgeonly, but she knew it was an act. He was a big softy.

“Don’t start with me, missy. You’ve got your own brooder on your hands.”

“Poe does not brood.”

“You clearly don’t know him as well as you think then. He doesn’t make it a…lifestyle of it like my son, but I’ve seen him in that zone plenty of times.”

Rey gnawed her lip between her teeth. Now that Han mentioned it, she could recall a few times Poe got into a mood. It was before they got together though. Usually before a big vote or speech. He never directed it at her. Or at the press. Of course, with the press, that was literally his _job._ He was charming to a fault, with a disarming grin that made women swoon.

Han seemed to know he’d said something wrong. “Rey, don’t start overthinking things. Poe’s a great guy. Leia and I have known him since he was kid. He’s crazy about you.”

“Right, right,” she replied absently.

“Rey,” Han said sternly.

“Hmmm?” Deep down, she knew Han was right. Poe was amazing. He could come off as cocky to someone who didn’t know him well; she thought he was insufferable at first. The way they would fight! She was certain Leia would fire her for that alone. Instead, her aunt just seemed amused by the whole thing. Almost like she could see what Poe and Rey couldn’t.

It wasn’t a conscious decision on her part. Hell, Rey didn’t even remember what they were arguing about that fateful night. She just knew she wanted to get that Ivy league smirk off his face. Her sleep deprived brain seemed to think kissing him was the way to do it. It was easily the most memorable first kiss of her life, electric and passionate.

The separations were tough. Whenever Poe was on the campaign trail, they talked and texted as much as they could. Rey made a lot of headway on her thesis, using schoolwork to keep from missing him too much. In a way, it was a good thing, because it forced them to talk to each other, rather than rely solely on their—admittedly fucking fantastic—physical connection. They discovered they had quite a few things in common. Rey lost her parents when she was small. Poe’s mom died when he was eight. His dad worked multiple jobs to help put Poe through school, so they weren’t as close as Poe would have liked. They had similar taste in movies and books; she thought his model airplane collection was endlessly adorable.

Six months in, Rey was pretty sure she was falling for him. Hard. She just wasn’t sure Poe felt the same way. She wanted to believe that was just her past talking, but though Rey had a key to his apartment in D.C., he had yet to actually tell her he loved her.

She was just being paranoid. It was Han’s fault. He’d sent her down this road of doubt and bad memories by talking about Ben. It was her curse that her cousin reminded her of some of her bad decisions when it came to dating. If anyone was a mess on the relationship front, it was her cousin. She felt sorry for whoever finally got him to settle down. _If_ such a person existed.

“Sorry, Han, I’ve got to go. Work to do.”

“You’re coming by later?”

“As soon as she gets to 250, I’m on my way.”

“Great.”

Rey went back to work; she was down to the minutia now. Margins, formatting, commas, everything had to be _perfect_ on her final thesis. The school library had theses and dissertations professionally bound and added to the collection; she couldn’t wait to see her work on the shelves. The last three years of her life were bound up in her thesis; she wanted Luke to be proud of her.

But her mind kept drifting. Every time a new state was called, she wished she were somewhere else. She’d debated with herself for days about just taking the night off, but she didn’t want to jinx anything. This was how she spent every election night through the primaries, even after Leia all but locked up the nomination on Super Tuesday. Why fix was wasn’t broken?

She glanced down at her phone, no messages from Poe. She was sure he was working. Her boyfriend was very good at his job; he didn’t know it yet, but Leia was planning on making him her White House Press Secretary if she won. Rey knew he was perfect for it; in fact, if everything went to plan, they’d be collaborating a lot in their new jobs.

After spending the last half year apart, she was looking forward to being in the same city most of the time. _Unless it all blows up in your face,_ her traitorous brain thought. Rey huffed in annoyance; six months wasn’t that long. Compared to her cousin, it was an eternity. No, she wasn’t comparing herself to Ben Solo. It was no secret the two disliked each other. Luke thought Ben was jealous because Leia treated Rey like the daughter she’d never had. But that was hardly Rey’s fault.

A knock got her attention. Rey set her laptop aside and went to answer the door. “Luke?”

“You shouldn’t just open doors like that around here, Rey,” the older man scolded. “At least look in the peep hole.”

“How did you even know where Poe lived?” She stepped aside to let him in. Rey was staying with Poe because she didn’t have an apartment in New York. She’d moved directly to D.C. when she started working for Leia. Per her employee records, she still lived with Luke, here in the city. Since she was a 26-year-old adult, she didn’t want to stay with her dad; not when her boyfriend had a perfectly nice apartment.

“I thought you’d be at the Waldorf,” Luke commented. He was grayer than when Rey had seen him last; she frowned.

“I could say the same about you. She’s your sister.”

“I’ll head over soon.” Luke and Leia had been separated at birth; Rey still didn’t know the whole story. They didn’t find out about each other until they were teenagers. It was a topic that still came up whenever Leia sought office, the scandalous tale of twins separated at birth. Luke adored his sister, so he accepted it with good grace. When he found Rey, it gave her a readymade family.

“You still haven’t answered my question,” she asked as she got them both a drink. Poe had a bottle of champagne waiting for them at the Waldorf, so she settled for apple juice.

“I told you I was friends with Kes, right?”

“Poe’s dad?” Rey hadn’t even met him yet; she was a little put out that Luke, Leia and Han seemed to know more about her boyfriend than she did. Yes, they were busy, but FaceTime existed. So did Zoom. And Facebook.

“Rey, is something wrong? Is it Poe?”

“No, nothing’s wrong. Poe’s great. I mean, I’ve hardly seen him over the last month, but we’re good.”

Luke took a long sip of his juice. “Are you sure? You’re making a face.”

“I am not making a _face.”_ She sounded childish even to herself. She really wished Han hadn’t compared Poe to Ben. The two were nothing alike. Poe believed in people; he was passionate about using his role for good. He was intense because he _cared_. Rey doubted her cousin cared about anything or anyone.

“What did he do?”

“Seriously, Luke, Poe and I are fine. It’s just…”

“Just what?”

“Han said something earlier. It’s stupid.” She had to stop letting her past get in her head. She wasn’t that lonely cast off girl anymore. She had a family, people who cared about her. Only she wanted Poe to be her family too. After everything else she’d been given, it seemed like almost too much to hope for, that someone as amazing as Poe could love her too.

“Han’s not the brightest sometimes when it comes to relationships, Rey.”

“He said Poe was broody. Like Ben.”

Luke sighed. “You and I both know Poe isn’t anything like your cousin.”

Rey so did not want to be one of _those_ girls, the ones that overanalyzed everything their partner did, looking for flaws and cracks in the relationship. Between her schoolwork and running Leia’s Washington office and his time with the campaign, they just didn’t get to spend as much time together as they wanted. But she trusted him. She did.

“Look, I know you haven’t had the best luck in the romance department, Rey,” Luke said gently. “But Poe’s one of the good ones. I promise.”

* * *

_Rey adjusted her bag on her shoulder; she had no reason to be nervous. It was just a date. With her boyfriend. Where he was making her dinner. No big deal._

_The door opened to a smiling--if disheveled—Poe. Rey’s jaw dropped. He was wearing an apron! And he had flour on his face! She couldn’t help it; she giggled. “Hi.”_

_Poe quirked a brow at her. “What’s funny?”_

_“When you said you were making dinner, I didn’t expect…this.”_

_“I have something on my face, don’t I? The flour bag exploded and…”_

_Rey cut him off with a kiss. “It’s cute. I like the apron too.”_

_He smiled just before he kissed her again. “Come on in. Dinner’s nearly ready.”_

_She stepped into his apartment, dropping her bag long enough to shuck her coat and heels. “Do you mind if I get some work done? I know we said no work on dates, but I need this done by Monday.”_

_Poe nodded. “Sure. You can set up on the table over there.”_

_She kissed his cheek before he disappeared into the kitchen. “You’re the best.”_

_“I don’t miss that,” Poe said as he returned to his simmering dish. Whatever it was, it smelled delicious. When Poe told her he could cook, she didn’t believe him. Clearly, she’d underestimated him._

_“Miss what?”_

_“Writing papers, all that research.”_

_“You do research every day.”_

_“Yeah, but it’s not the same. I’d make a terrible academic.”_

_Rey smiled to herself as she got out her laptop. Poe already had the table set for two; since it sat four originally, it gave her plenty of room to work. Her professor had convinced her to turn one of the chapters of her thesis into an article; the editor of the magazine needed her final version Monday morning._

_Ten minutes later, Poe came over, a wooden spoon in his hand. “Here, try this.”_

_Rey licked at the spoon. “Oh, that’s really good!”_

_Poe smiled, relief etched into his handsome features. “Oh good. It’s been a while since I made this.”_

_“Well, good thing I’m hungry then.”_

_She got about a half hour’s worth of work done while Poe put the finishing touches on dinner. Rey had never had anyone cook for her before; then again, she’d never dated anyone quite like Poe. She packed up her laptop; the rest could wait until morning. Poe usually slept in on Saturdays when he was in town. She could get up early to finish her article._

_“Poe, how long have you been working on this?” she asked as she sat to his right._

_“The committee meeting ended early,” he said, shrugging like it was no big deal._

_The space between them was piled high with dishes, soup, salad, a delicious smelling chicken alfredo. There was barely room for the two candles that flickered between them. “You didn’t have to go to all this trouble,” she said softly. “But thank you.”_

_“Seeing you smile like that is worth it,” he replied. He brought her hand to his lips; Rey blushed. She was getting to see a whole new side to Poe Dameron; she liked it. A lot._

_She served herself a bit of everything while Poe poured them each a glass of wine. The chicken smelled so good; she dived right into it. “Oh my god,” she moaned, her mouth full. “This is amazing.”_

_Poe flushed. “I’m glad you like it. It was my mom’s recipe.”_

_Rey swallowed, then she reached out and covered Poe’s hand with hers. He didn’t talk a lot about his mom; Rey knew that she died when he was young. She spotted a picture of mother and son in Poe’s apartment the first time she stayed over. As a fellow member of the dead parent club, she understood without words how much this meant to him. He smiled wistfully as she squeezed his fingers._

_They made small talk about their respective days, meetings for Poe, constituent mail for Rey. It was tedious sometimes, but Rey liked the work. Growing up as she did, she knew what it was like to not feel like you had a voice. She wanted to help make that better._

_Poe seemed to study her as she talked and ate; after a little bit, she started to feel self-conscious. “Okay, am I the one with something on my face now?”_

_“No. No, you’re fine. It’s nothing, sorry.”_

_Rey put her fork down. “No, you definitely have ‘something’ face. Whatever it is, just ask me, Poe.”_

_Poe chewed on his lip and glanced away. He seemed nervous suddenly. Which was odd because she was used to seeing him as the confident charismatic spokesman. In fact, she’d only ever seen him nervous around her. “If I do, promise not to take it the wrong way?”_

_Rey frowned. “Um, okay?”_

_Poe swallowed. “I know this is a really weird thing to notice about someone, but I’ve noticed it before tonight, and I was just…wondering. But you don’t have to tell me if it makes you uncomfortable.”_

_“Poe, stop babbling and just ask.”_

_“Okay.” He unconsciously wet his lips. “Uh, when you…eat. Like your trying to inhale your food? At first, I just thought you were really hungry, but you always eat like that. Not that there’s anything w_ rong _with that!” He looked away from her. “Christ, I’m just gonna shut up now before you punch me in the face.”_

_“Poe, I’m not going to punch you. Calm down.”_

_“You’re not?”_

_She shook her head. Seeing him so flustered—like he was deathly afraid of offending her—was really endearing. “Of course not. I’d do something much more subtle.”_

_His eyes widened in horror until he realized she was joking. “That’s mean, Sunshine.”_

_She grinned, unapologetic. “I was in foster care until I was 15.”_

_“When Luke found you.”_

_“Right. Well, I was in and out of a lot of group homes. Sometimes I stayed with a family, but it rarely lasted long.” She sighed. “Everything I owned fit into one backpack.”_

_His brown eyes were soft and sympathetic. He reached across the table and took her hand. She squeezed gratefully. She didn’t like reliving those years of her life, but she wanted Poe to know. She wanted him to know the little things that made her tick. “Group homes sometimes had thirty kids in them. And some kids played dirty. I learned early that if you didn’t eat fast, then you didn’t eat all.”_

_“That sounds awful.”_

_She shrugged. “It was just how I lived. I didn’t realize that it didn’t have to be like that until Luke brought me to live with him.”_

_“Well, I’m grateful he did.”_

_She smiled. “Me too.”_

_Poe leaned over and kissed her. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”_

_“Listen, I know it’s weird…”_

_Poe shook his head. “You don’t have to apologize for who you are, Rey. I’ll just assume you really like my cooking.”_

_She grinned. “You’re the first person I’ve been with that’s cooked for me.”_

_Poe’s smile widened. “Then that’s their loss and my gain.” He kissed her again. “Now, let’s finish up because dessert’s waiting.”_

_“Chocolate?”_

_“You’ll just have to wait and see.”_

* * *

“Poe Dameron!”

Poe flinched inwardly. He knew Rose would be upset, but he didn’t expect her to call him out quite so loudly. “Yeah, Rose?”

Rose banished her iPad like it was a club; Poe flinched. “What have you done to my speech?”

“What I always do,” he replied. “I have to be ready to answer questions about it…”

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it. I’ve spent my entire career working for this! How dare you!”

“I’ve already showed it to Leia. _Both_ versions,” he added before Rose could start in on him again. “She likes mine better.”

“Maybe we should make you the speechwriter.”

Poe held up his hands. “Look, I’m sorry, okay? I just…feel very strongly about this issue. And I’ve been doing a lot of research…”

“Are you saying I haven’t?”

Poe could feel others watching them. He nodded toward a quieter corner. Thankfully, Rose followed him. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited. Poe hoped Rey wouldn’t be upset with him for talking about this with Rose. “You know Rey’s adopted, right?” Rose nodded. “Well, before that, she was in the system. She’s told me some things and…let’s just say no one really understands how terrible it is unless you’ve been through it.”

Rose’s anger thawed a bit. “You know, that explains a lot.”

“Look, Rey doesn’t know it’s in the speech. I was hoping to surprise her. It’s one of the initiatives that Han and Luke want to take on if we win this thing.”

“We’re gonna win, Poe.”

“I hope so.”

“Okay, I’ll let it go. Just this once. Though next time, just work _with_ me? We’re on the same team, Dameron.”

“You got it.”

Rose left; she needed to get the final version of both speeches into the TelePrompter. Poe glanced at his watch; it was almost ten o’clock. Polls on the West Coast would be closing soon. He checked his phone; a few of the reporters from the pool wanted to know if he would come down and talk on air about how things were going so far. Leia was leading at the moment, but there were a lot of states that hadn’t been called yet. Most of the South—predictably—had gone red; all aside from North Carolina and Georgia. Florida was still too close to call, though Leia had a thin margin. It was the same story in the Rust Belt; it would be some time before those were called either way.

Texas was the state he was watching. If they could get Texas, then Leia would win. Poe was certain of it. His mother’s family was from there; Poe had only met them a handful of times in his life. She’d given up a lot to marry his dad and move to New Jersey. Perhaps it was time for him to make more of an effort to get to know them. Texas was beautiful; he wondered if Rey would like a road trip.

Leia motioned him over. “Reporters getting antsy?”

Poe grinned. “Yeah.” He waved his phone. “I’ve got requests from MSNBC, CNN and ABC to go on air and talk.”

“Maybe you should. Doesn’t your old roommate work for NBC?”

“Why do you think they made him their roving reporter with the campaign?”

“There’s not much else to do but wait, Poe. And I’d rather not give my opponent anymore airtime then necessary.”

“On air interviews, coming up.” Poe opened his phone, shooting off texts to the outlets that requested him. Within ten minutes, he was booked on ABC, CNN and MSNBC. Each outlet had a reporter following the campaign; they were all waiting in the ballroom with supporters. He’d been doing this sort of thing for the past six months; he knew all the reporters and crew by name. He rechecked his shirt and tie for potential stains while a team of three made him presentable for TV. Apparently, his unruly curls tested well with audiences on TV; his dad thought it was hilarious.

He went on ABC first. He talked about the usual stuff, analyzing polling data, telling a few anecdotes, reiterating his optimism that they were going to win. After that he did the same thing on CNN. It was still something he was perfecting, doing these interviews and not feel like he was repeating himself. Studies showed that most Americans that followed the returns had preferred outlet for their news, so he had to find new ways of conveying the same information.

“I was starting to think you were ghosting me,” Finn said, just before they went live on MSNBC.

“I’d never do that to you, man. It’s pretty busy upstairs. You know how it is.”

“How’s that girl of yours?”

“Rey? She’s good. She’ll be here later.”

“If I hadn’t seen her with Leia on TV the other week, I’d have thought you were making her up. But she must like you to put up with you this long.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Finn arched a brow at his friend. “Don’t tell me you forgot about Zorii.”

“That wasn’t my fault, Finn.”

“Sure.” Finn pressed his earpiece. “We’re ready.” Finn turned to the camera and started his introduction. Then he turned to Poe. “I’ve got the Organa campaign’s lead spokesman with me, Poe Dameron. How does the campaign feel about the results so far?”

“It’s encouraging certainly,” Poe replied, looking at Finn and not the camera. The light hurt his eyes. “We’re excited to see so many new voters out there, exercising their rights.”

“How is the Senator?”

Poe was mildly surprised by the personal question. “She was watching the returns like everyone else. She’s done this a lot. She’s pretty unflappable.”

Finn moved on to a few policy questions, nothing too involved. Poe answered those without incident. He could tell that Finn was going to ask something else when he got a message through his earpiece. “They’re cutting back to the studio,” he said to Poe. “Stick around for a minute?”

“Sure.” Poe’s phone immediately started vibrating. He fished it out of his pocket, nearly dropping it in shock. At least ten notifications, all telling him that Texas had gone blue. _Texas._ Leia won Texas! He couldn’t believe it. “Holy shit.”

They were going to win. All that work, the sacrifices, the missed time…they’d _won._

It wouldn’t be official yet, but Poe didn’t care. He could do the math.

He looked around; all he wanted in that moment was Rey. He wanted to celebrate with the person he loved most.

He was snapped back into reality by Finn. “Now, Poe, MSNBC is calling Texas for the Senator. It’s the first time Texas has gone blue in decades. Why do you think the Senator’s message resonated with voters in Texas?”

Poe tried to answer the question. He was having trouble putting words together coherently. “I feel like I need to apologize to your viewers, Finn. It’s just…overwhelming, seeing all our hard work payoff like this. Everyone on this campaign has worked so hard to get out the vote, to show this country that Senator Organa is the best and most qualified candidate. We’ve all sacrificed time with our loved ones, starting with the Senator herself.” Poe paused, then spoke again. “Personally, I’d like to say hello to my girlfriend, who I’m sure is watching at home. I’ll see you soon, Sunshine. I love you.”

Finn blinked and sent things back to the studio. “Man, you really know how to make us all look bad, don’t you, Dameron? Every woman in America is going to be envious of your girl.”

Poe couldn’t stop smiling. Everything was coming together in a way he’d hardly allowed himself to imagine. Then his eyes flew wide. “Shit. Rey’s going to _kill_ me.”

“Why? What did you do?”

Poe pinched the bridge of his nose. How could he have been so s _tupid?_ Worse, why had he waited so long? Surely, Rey knew how he felt. Right? But who wanted to hear those words for the _first time_ on national TV? No one. God, she was going to murder him. “I said that I loved her.”’

“Yeah, I was there. What’s…” Finn groaned. “You’ve never said it before, have you? You a _ss!”_

“I didn’t mean to say it like that! It just…came out.” Shit. Shit, shit, _shit._ “I gotta go.”

“Can I have my desk back if she kills you?” Finn called as Poe dashed out of the room.

He was on his phone the moment he was out of earshot. _Please don’t hate me,_ he thought desperately. _Please don’t hate me._ He’d loved her for so long now, that he honestly forgot that he’d never said the words out loud. With their lives so hectic, he kind of assumed she knew. Like he did. She didn’t need to tell him how she felt; he heard it in her voice when they said good night after long days separated by hundreds—sometimes thousands—of miles. He had all these grand plans for after the election; he wanted to ask her to move in with him. He wanted to take her on a real vacation, somewhere nice. He knew Leia would give them the time. Most of all, he wanted to take her to meet his dad. Kes had been hearing about the woman that stole his son’s heart; he’d been prodding Poe for weeks to bring her around to the house.

But he should have known better. He should have said something well before now. He felt like such an asshole. _Come on, Rey,_ he thought. _Pick up._ He tried five times on his way up to Leia’s suite; each time it rang out. He’d just have to let Leia know he was leaving. Rey was at his apartment. Maybe she hadn’t even seen the interview? Maybe she was hard at work on her thesis and had her phone off? That was more comforting than thinking she was furious with him.

The moment he stepped into the suite, everyone stopped. Every eye was on him as he went to find his boss. He and Rey hadn’t hidden the fact that they were dating, but it wasn’t something he talked about a lot. It wasn’t anyone’s business really. But he may have just screwed up the most important thing in his life; if anyone would be sympathetic, it was Leia.

“Got yourself in quite a pickle, eh, kid?”

Poe stopped, suddenly face to face with Han Solo. “Is it that obvious?”

“You just declared yourself on national television. That’s ballsy, even for me.”

Poe chuckled mirthlessly. “Is she in there?”

“Yeah.” Han looked like he was going to walk away, then he stopped. “Listen, kid. I know what it’s like to suddenly feel like you just screwed up the best thing that ever happened to you. It’ll work out.”

“I hope so.”

“Good luck.”

Poe nodded, then he knocked on the door and pushed it open. Leia was reading a book, her reading glasses perched on her nose. She regarded him curiously as he entered the room. “I thought you’d be halfway across town by now.”

“I just wanted to let you know that I was leaving.”

“And you wanted some advice.”

Poe sighed. “Maybe.”

“What took you so long?”

Poe frowned. “What?”

“I said, what took so long? It’s clear to pretty much anyone who has eyes that you and my niece are crazy about each other.”

“How did you know I hadn’t…”

“Something Han said earlier. He was talking to Rey and…it doesn’t matter. You still haven’t answered my question.”

Poe didn’t quite know what to make of that, but he could worry about it later. “Scared, I guess?” he replied, shrugging helplessly. “Everything’s been so busy; we hardly see each other…”

“That’s about to change,” Leia observed dryly. It was the first time she admitted out loud that all their lives were about to change. “You’re afraid of losing her?” Leia guessed, after a long silence.

Poe stared at the floor. He didn’t want to admit it, but Leia was right. He’d never felt like this; this was the big scary kind of love that his parents had. His mom died so young; he saw what it did to his dad. Kes was never the same after that. “Something like that,” he mumbled.

Leia stood, crossing the room to where Poe stood. Then she did something she hadn’t done since Poe graduated from college. She hugged him. Tightly, like a mother would. “Go find her. Don’t come back until you’ve sorted everything out. And if you screw this up, Poe, you’re fired.”

Poe chuckled, even though he wasn’t sure she was joking. “Thanks, Leia.”

* * *

“Rey! Get in here!” Luke yelled.

Rey walked barefoot from the bedroom, her brush still in her hand. She’d changed from her sweater and jeans into a nice cocktail dress Leia had given her for her last birthday. She was about to call a car to take them to the Waldorf when her dad called for her. “What’s the emergency?”

“Poe’s on TV.”

Rey tilted her head; it wasn’t like her boyfriend being on TV was news. Poe was on TV a lot, especially on election night. It was earlier than she expected though. She smiled as she took him in; he looked good in his dark suit and blue silk tie. She’d gotten him that tie for his birthday; she was pleased to see that it looked good on TV. Poe was very photogenic; he was almost as handsome on TV as he was in person.

He was talking to his friend Finn. “How is the Senator?” Finn asked.

Luke rolled his eyes. “My sister is the calmest person in the whole damn country right now, young man,” he groused. “I thought Poe said this guy was smart?”

“Shhh,” Rey scolded. She was trying to hear Poe.

“…watching the returns like everyone else. She’s done a lot. She’s pretty unflappable,” Poe said. Rey grinned. She couldn’t help it. Just seeing him made her feel bad about her earlier doubts. Her heart squeezed; Poe had done nothing to make her doubt him.

The interview was interrupted by another call. MSNBC was calling Texas for Leia. Wait, _what?_ Rey did some quick math in her head. She stared at Luke, who’d come to the same conclusion at the same moment. They broke out into happy grins. Leia was going to win! Luke jumped up and hugged Rey tightly; Rey couldn’t stop smiling. “I can’t believe it,” she breathed.

“I knew she could do it,” Luke said, sounding every bit like proud brother. “No one takes down my sister!”

When they broke apart, Rey realized they’d cut back to Poe to get his reaction. Rey giggled; he looked as amazing as Rey felt. He was stumbling over his words, just trying to grasp the magnitude of what happened. She’d never seen him so flummoxed. It was cute. “I feel like I need to apologize to your viewers, Finn,” Poe was saying. “It’s just…overwhelming, seeing all our hard work payoff like this. Everyone on this campaign has worked so hard to get out the vote, to show this country that Senator Organa is the best and most qualified candidate. We’ve all sacrificed time with our loved ones, starting with the Senator herself.”

Rey smiled at the TV, wishing she were there with him right now. She knew he was talking about her. They’d given so much for the campaign; she just wanted to celebrate with him. She saw him pause, then look directly into the camera. “Personally, I’d like to say hello to my girlfriend, who I’m sure is watching at home. I’ll see you soon, Sunshine. I love you.”

Rey’s jaw dropped. She stared at the TV, completely floored. Had that just happened? The network cut back to the studio, but Rey didn’t care. She grabbed her remote and rewound. And rewound again. And again. The words were the same each time. “I love you.”

Behind her, Luke looked smug. “Didn’t I tell you? That boy certainly knows about to make it memorable; I’ll give him that.”

Rey swallowed. “I can’t believe it.” She sat on Poe’s couch. “On national TV!” Her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my god.”

She was silent for so long, that Luke got worried. “Rey? What’s wrong? I thought something like that would make you happy?”

Rey blinked away the tears that threatened to mess up her make up. “I am happy. I just…that was real, right? I didn’t just dream that up?”

Luke knelt in front of her. He cursed the rough life she’d had before he found her. She’d been a scrappy thing; he knew immediately that she belonged in his life. He was so proud of her. But those first few months had been tough; Rey kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. She wasn’t used to good things or anything resembling permanence. Luke had finally won her over, with some help from his sister and Han. They welcomed Rey into their family like she’d always been there. Like any father, he was skeptical of anyone his little girl dated, but Luke knew Poe was the sort of person Rey deserved. He just wanted her to be happy.

“I think we could rewind that recording another hundred times and it would say the same thing. Now, how about we go find him? I think you two have a lot to say to each other.”

Rey sniffed and nodded. “God, I’m probably a mess.” Once they got to the Waldorf, there would be cameras everywhere. She couldn’t look like this. “Give me a few minutes to fix my hair.”

“I’ll call the car. You do…whatever you need to do.”

Rey nodded gratefully. It took her more than twenty minutes to get her hair styled; her hands kept shaking. She was giddy with excitement. She couldn’t wait to see Poe. She wanted to apologize. He had no idea that she’d spent the night doubting him, but she wanted to apologize anyway. More importantly, she had something she needed to tell him too.

She met Luke down in the lobby of Poe’s building, waiting for their ride. It was cold, even for November. They didn’t venture outside until the black car pulled up out front. But before the building’s valet could even open the door, it opened, and Poe stepped out. “Rey! Thank god.”

Her brow creased in confusion. “What are you doing here, Poe?”

He looked her over, belatedly realizing that she was headed to where he’d just been. “I, uh, came to talk?”

Luke chuckled. “I’ll let you two kids talk,” he said. “I’ll send the car back later. Leia will kill you both if you miss her big speech!”

Before Rey could stop him, her father disappeared in the car and drove off. “I don’t understand, Poe. Why are you here and not at the Waldorf?”

Rather than answer her, he closed the space between them and drew her in for a kiss. Rey blinked in surprise, but she wasn’t going to complain. She wrapped her arms around his neck, humming happily as he deepened the kiss. “This mean you’re not mad?” he asked quietly once they broke for air.

“Why would I be mad?” she asked, confused.

“I didn’t mean to blurt it out like that,” he continued. “You know I meant it, right? Christ, Rey, I’ve loved you so long now. I should have said it before. I should have…”

She silenced him with another kiss. “Come on, let’s go upstairs. I think we need to talk.”

They held hands the entire way up to his apartment. Poe was so thankful that she wasn’t upset; he thought he’d really messed things up. But it seemed that Han had been right. He vowed to never make that mistake again. When they got back to his apartment, he helped Rey remove her coat. “Now why would you think I’d be mad?” she asked.

Poe shrugged. “Well, I can’t imagine it’s something you want to hear for the first time on national TV.”

Rey giggled. “It was a surprise,” she admitted. “I rewound it about twenty times. I wasn’t sure I heard you right.”

Poe blinked. “You did?”

“You can ask Luke. I was shocked.” She cupped his scruffy cheeks. “Shocked but happy, Poe. But if you wanted to say it again, don’t let me stop you.”

He leaned his forehead against hers. “I love you, Rey.”

“I love you, too, Poe.”

They leaned in at the same moment; their lips met in a tender kiss. Poe slid his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against him as he went back for more. Rey wove her fingers into his hair, allowing herself to get lost in his kiss. His hands wandered; she suppressed a shiver. “We have somewhere to be,” she whispered, her eyes falling shut as his lips trailed down her throat.

“Is it bad that I don’t care?” he murmured, his hands sliding over her dress. She looked amazing in the dress; it was a deep green and clung to her slender frame.

“Hmm, me neither.” They still had some things to say to each other, but it had been far too long since they could enjoy being together like this. She drew his mouth back to hers, kissing him deeply. “Maybe if we’re quick?”

He grinned. “I love the way you think, Sunshine.” Later, after the speech and the interviews and the party, he’d bring her back here and worship her the way she deserved. “This is a nice dress.”

“You’re not going to ruin it, are you?”

“Hmm, maybe we should take it off. Wouldn’t want it to get wrinkled.”

Rey rolled her eyes, but she obediently turned around so he could unzip her. He peeled the straps off her shoulders and let the satin fall to the floor. Rey scooped it up and laid it over one of the barstools in front of the breakfast nook.

Poe swallowed heavily. “Wow.”

“Nothing you haven’t seen before,” she said, her ears reddening.

“You buy these just for me?”

“Who else?” She wasn’t big on lingerie, but this was a special occasion. Black strapless lace bra with matching panties that she’d bought on a whim.

“Damn right.”

“This is hardly fair,” Rey observed, curling her fingers around his tie. She loosened it expertly and laid it on top of her dress. They made out passionately as they worked on the rest of Poe’s clothes, jacket, shirt, shoes, trousers quickly discarded. He pressed her back against the nook counter, his mouth sliding wetly down her sternum. He deftly unhooked her bra and tossed it to the floor. Rey arched as he sucked her nipples; wetness flooded her core. “God.” She fisted his hair, holding him against her. “I thought we…were gonna be…quick.”

“We’ve got time.” Honestly, Poe wasn’t sure, but making love to Rey was the only thing he cared about at the moment. The rest could wait. He knelt in front of her and peeled down her lacy panties. Poe had her sit on another stool, groaning as he palmed his erection. It took the edge off, but only just. Rey knew exactly what he wanted; she spread her legs for him eagerly. Poe dived in, licking the length of her slit. She was already wet for him; he couldn’t wait to feel her around him again.

Rey braced her hands on her counter, her eye rolling back in her head as he feasted on her. She’d had men go down on her before, but no one did it with the dedication that Poe had. The first time he’d done it, she’d come embarrassingly quickly, but that only spurred him on. That first night together had been magical in more ways than one. “Poe…ugh…don’t stop.”

As much as he wanted to spend the night between her legs, he knew Leia was expecting them. Fortunately, he knew exactly what she needed. He pressed two fingers deep inside her sex, pumping quickly as he sucked her clit between his lips. Rey arched and cried out, her legs clamping around his head as she climaxed. Her fingers hurt from gripping the counter so hard, but that didn’t stop her from dragging Poe’s mouth to hers the moment he stood. She tasted herself on his lips; she still ached for him. “Poe…”

He shoved his briefs down and kicked them away. He let out a long groan as Rey curled her hand around his thick cock. “Fuck, Rey.”

“That’s the idea,” she replied with a smug grin.

“Naughty girl.” The stool had her at the perfect height; Poe kissed her as she guided him to where she needed him most. They both moaned as he sank deeply inside her; Rey locked her ankles behind his back. Poe leaned his forehead against her, giving them both a minute to enjoy being joined. He fit inside her perfectly, filling her up the way no one else ever had.

“Please,” she whimpered, clenching her walls around him. “Need you, Poe.”

Poe kissed her slowly as he pulled almost all the way out. He rode her slowly at first, their lips meeting in needy kisses. “Love you,” he murmured over and over. “Love you so much.”

Rey clung to his neck, rocking into him as he rode her. “Love you,” she replied breathlessly. “I love you, Poe.”

Poe hitched her legs under his arms, spreading her wide. She hung on as his stokes became rough and desperate, her little mewls and moans spurring him on. She reached between them, her fingers quickly finding her swollen nub. Poe groaned as he watched her touch herself; he leaned into her, sinking all the way to the hilt. Rey reached her peak first, climaxing with another hoarse cry, her walls spasming around him. Poe lasted another half dozen stokes before following her, his hips flush against hers as he filled her. Rey hummed in pleasure; she loved the way he felt when he climaxed inside her.

Poe’s lips brushed her brow. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” She drew him in for a kiss. “That was amazing.”

They stayed still for a few more minutes, catching their breath, soaking each other in. “As much as I’d like to take you to bed…”

“We should get going.” She kissed him one last time before he backed up so she could go to the bathroom. While she got cleaned up, Poe started to get dressed. His suit wasn’t too wrinkled; it would serve. He retrieved Rey’s things from where he’d tossed them; he was working on his tie when she came back. It didn’t take her as long as he expected to get dressed; she looked just as amazing as she had before. “How’s my hair?”

Poe smoothed back a few stray tendrils. “Good. What about mine?”

Rey flushed. His curls must have been a state if she looked like that. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry.” He dashed for the bathroom and dragged a comb through the unruly curls. It wasn’t perfect, but it would have to do. When he returned, Rey was already shrugging into her coat. “Hey, come here.”

Rey hummed as he kissed her. “Car’s on the way.”

“Hopefully, Leia won’t kill us when we get there.”

Twenty minutes later, they were settled in the backseat of the sedan. Rey glanced down at their joined hands; she smiled. She couldn’t recall the last time she was this happy. But there were still things she needed to say. Unfortunately, it seemed Poe was thinking the same thing, because they both tried to speak at the same moment.

Poe laughed. “How about you go first this time?”

Rey nodded. “I, uh, feel like I need to apologize to you.”

“What for?”

“Han called earlier. We were talking and he compared you to Ben, for some reason.”

“That’s not very flattering,” Poe replied. He’d known Ben Solo since they were kids; he wasn’t very fond of him. He’d been terrible to Rey, which Poe couldn’t forgive. Who didn’t like Rey? She was kind and good and funny. She lit up any room she entered. It was the reason he called her Sunshine.

“I know. And I know you’re nothing any of the guys I’ve dated, but I still haven’t met your dad and I didn’t know how you felt about me. I mean, I hoped, but I tend to lose things I love. I spent most of the afternoon in a doubtful spiral and you didn’t deserve that. So, I’m sorry.”

“Oh, Sunshine.” He leaned across and kissed her temple. “If I’d told you how I felt sooner, you wouldn’t have done that. I’m the one who’s sorry.”

“Both Han and Luke said I was being ridiculous, but old habits are hard to break, I guess.”

“I was going to wait until later to ask you this, but how would you feel about a road trip? We could stop and see Dad. He’s dying to meet you, Rey.”

“You told your dad about me?”

“Of course. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Sunshine. Dad’s going to love you.”

“I’d love to go on a road trip with you.”

Poe beamed. “There’s something else I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

Rey’s eyes widened, but she waited patiently. “What is it?”

“No pressure, of course, but I, uh, wondered if you’d like to, uh, move in with me.”

She blinked at him in shock. “Move in with you? Are you serious?”

“Um, yeah?” he bit his lip, suddenly nervous. Had he pushed things too forward too fast?

Rey leaned over and kissed him. “Yes, I’ll move in with you.”

Poe sighed in relief. “Good. I think it’ll make things easier, don’t you?”

Rey smiled; oh, if only he knew. But she wasn’t going to be the one to tell him. “Definitely.”

* * *

Poe kept Rey’s hand in his as they made their way up to Leia’s suite. The party had already started; she passed 270 more than an hour ago. Luke greeted them first, hugging Rey and handing them both some champagne. They were just in time for Leia’s toast.

“Thank you all for working so hard,” she said, her voice heavy with emotion. “I may have been the candidate, but this would not have been possible without everyone in this room. Washington won’t know what hit them!” She raised her glass; everyone else followed suit. Poe and Rey smiled at each other as they drank. It was a night to remember in more ways than one.

After the toast, Leia and Han made their way to Poe and Rey. “You two kissed and made up?”

Rey flushed. “There was nothing to make up,” she mumbled.

Poe kissed the back of her hand. “We’re good. Rey’s going to move in with me.”

“Poe!”

“What?”

Leia, Han and Luke laughed. “It’s a good thing too,” Han said, still chuckling. “You’ll be able to carpool to work.”

Poe frowned. “What?”

Leia gave her husband an exasperated look. “I was going to wait to tell you, but since Han’s got a big mouth, there’s no time like the present. Poe, I’d like you to be my Press Secretary.”

“Rey’s already agreed to do the same job for me,” Han said. “So, I’d say yes if I were you.”

Poe turned to Rey, who was blushing a deep red. “You did?”

“I wanted to wait until the election was over to tell you,” she confessed. “I said yes the moment Leia told me she was offering you the same position.”

Poe shook his head, completely stunned. In a good way. He and Rey were going to keep working together? At opposite ends of the White House, but that didn’t matter. She’d only be a short walk away. Poe wasn’t sure what job he would take after the election; he didn’t want to take Leia hiring him as a given. He’d worried for nothing. “I’ll do it.”

Han clapped him on the back. “Good man.” He looked from Rey to Poe with that roguish grin. “And welcome to the family, Poe.”

“Isn’t that my line?” Luke complained.

“Gotta be quicker on the draw, Luke,” Han replied, shrugging.

“Well, come on,” Leia said, gesturing toward the door. “This speech isn’t going to give itself.”

The entire staff headed down to the ballroom. The moment the Secret Service agent opened the door, they were hit with a wall of sound. People cheering, clapping, waving signs. Dozens of cameras were trained on Leia. She was all smiles, Han standing proudly beside her. Poe glanced at Rey; she smiled back at him. The cheering went on for a long time; they were witnesses to history. Eventually, the room quieted. Leia nodded for them to start her speech.

Poe tuned most of it out; he knew what it said. People cheered at all the right spots; they booed whenever the President was mentioned. Poe was starting sweat under the lights and crush of humanity; it was hot up on the stage. But he didn’t dare move.

“The country is crying out for change,” Leia said in a clear voice. “Every single person that worked on this campaign wants change. We’re going to get it done. Everyone will have a voice, especially those who have too often been ignored and felt voiceless. We hear you. _I hear you._ ”

More cheers. Leia glanced at her brother, then at Rey. “This was never about me,” she said. “My parents—the ones who raised me—taught me that the highest calling was to work for the betterment of others. I’ve tried to do that all my life. For a long time, I didn’t know that I had a twin brother. Luke, I wish I could have been there for you when you needed me most. I will never stop trying to make that up to you.” Luke closed the small distance between them and hugged his sister. Many in the crowd started crying.

Leia took a deep breath. So did Poe. He knew exactly what came next. “My brother grew up very differently than I did, but he exemplifies the values taught to me as a child. Like them, he found a lonely parentless child and gave her a home. I was lucky; I was adopted as in infant. Too many children, like my niece, are not. They endure terrible conditions and unimaginable trauma. I promise you; _this will change_. I can think of no one better to lead this effort than my brother, Luke.”

Rey gasped. Tears were already streaming down her cheeks. “Surprise,” Poe whispered in her ear.

“You knew about this?”

“It was partly my idea,” he said replied, hoping she wouldn’t be upset. “Well, me and Luke.”

Rey threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. The speech continued, but Rey didn’t care. No of the rest mattered. “I love you,” she said, leaning next to his ear so he could hear her.

“I love you too.” Ignoring everyone, he kissed her soundly. Flashes went off around them, but they were too wrapped up in each other to notice. The next morning, the _New York Times’_ front page carried a splash photo of Leia, Han and Luke, the _Post_ had Poe and Rey front and center. The headline?

_On Top of the World!_

No one was more shocked than Poe when Rey got it framed and hung it in their new apartment.


End file.
